Island



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet; 1.

J. F. THAYER.

BUTTON ATTAGHING MACHINE.

No. 386,856. Patented July 31, 1888.

FIE In FIQIE- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

J. F. THAYER.

BUTTON ATTAGHING MACHINE.

No. 386,856. a Patented July 31, 1888.

INVEN TUR:

WITNESSES.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES F. THAYER, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

BU TTON-ATTACHING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 386,856, dated July 31,1888.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I,JAMEs F. THAYER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of RhodeIsland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inButtonF-astener- Attaching Machines; and I do declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact descrip tion of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and totheletters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

My present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inmachines for attaching buttons to fabrics by means of staple fasteners,and embodies in a machine a button and fastener holding member and araceway, each havinga longitudinal slot coincident with each other, theslot in said button-holding member being provided with aconcavity orrecess formed crosswise of said slot and corresponding in form to theconfiguration of the crown or arch of the staple-fastener designed to beused therein, a feeding-finger for carrying buttons and connectedfasteners intermittently into position in said crosswise recess, a guardfor governing the proper movement of said feeding finger,andareciprocating clinching'die coupled to and arranged to operate saidfeeding-finger, the several parts combined and arranged to perform theirindividual functions, substantially as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved button attachingmachine. Fig. 2 represents the same in section through the center, thebutton and fastener raceway being in elevation, with button and fastenerin position for clinching. Fig. 3isa side sectional view through thecenter, showing thefastenerstaple clinched in fabric and thefeedingfinger on its extreme backward stroke. Fig. 4, Sheet 2,represents a plan view of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a front end elevationshowing the fastener-staple in position to be clinched. Fig. 6 is aperspective view of the button-holding jaw. Fig. 7 is an inverted planview of the same. Fig. 8 represents an end elevation of the raceway.

Again referring to the drawings, the main or body portion 1 of myimproved machine is designed to be rigidly secured to a bench and beoperated by a treadle or other suitable power; or it may be mounted upona table or stand in the usual manner. The lower portion is provided witha reciprocating rod, 2, which moves freely therein and is connected atthe lower end with any suitable power, whereby said rod is moved up anddown at will. The upper end of the rod 2 is provided with a dieholder,3, adj ustably secured thereto, said die-holder being provided at theouter end with the clinching'die 4, having in its upper-surface properconcavities for bending and deflecting the legs of the staple-fastener,as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the drawings. The upper portion ofthe body portion 1 is provided with an opening, 0, formed therethroughfrom front to rear, beneath which the button-jaw 5 is located, beingsecured thereto by the screws 6. The front end of the buttonjaw 5 isprovided with a longitudinal slot, 7, having a recess or concavity, 8,formed cross wisetherewith on the underside of the buttonjaw, saidrecess being formed corresponding to the upper or crown portion of thestaple-fast ener to be used therein. On each side of the longitudinalslot 7, from the recess 8 rearward, the stock is cut away or grooved, asat a a, to the opening 10, forming a passage-way,through which thefastener-staple slides in its passage from the raceway b to the recess8, as shown in Fig. 7.

The rear portion of the button-jaw 5 is provided with the raceway I),rigidly secured thereto, said raceway being provided with an openingtherethrough and also provided with a longitudinal slot, 0, formedcoincident with the slot 7 of the buttonjaw 5. The upper side of thebutton-jaw 5 is provided on the front end with a buttonspring, d,secured thereto by means of the screw d, said spring being located onone side of the longitudinal slot 7 and serves to keep the button andstaple in position in the recessS ready for clinching. To the rear ofthe buttonspring d is secureda spring-stop, 6, said spring-stop beingdesigned to limitthe movement of the column of buttons and staples intheir downward flow in the raceway b. Opposite the spring-stop e islocated the guard 12, adjustably mounted with relation to saidspring-stop, serving to arrest the movement of the free end of thefeeding-finger 13, hereinafter described, so that the latter willproperly engage a button at each stroke of the reciprocating rod 2 ofthe machine, as shown in Fig.6 of the drawings.

Projecting from the top of the bodyportion 1 is a lug, 14, to which ispivoted, as at 15, the lever 16, said lever being joined to and operatedby the die-holder 3 by means of the connection 17, pivoted at 18 18. Thefree end of the said lever is provided with the feedingfinger 13,pivoted thereto at 19, said feedingfinger being adapted to move.longitudinally on thebutton-jaw over the slot 7 and designed to carrythe connected buttons and staples one by one from the spring-stop e toposition in the recess 8.

The operation of the machine in attaching buttons is as follows: Theraceway bis first filled with buttons and connected staples, as shown inthe drawings, the lowest button resting against. the'spring-stop e. Therod 2 is then raised, which causes the lever 16 to carry the feedingfinger 13 to the extreme position against the guard 12, its free endbeing past the lowest button in the raceway, as shown in Fig. 3. The rod2 is then moved downward, which causes the several parts to return'totheir normal condition, the lower free end of the feedingfinger 13dropping meanwhile back of the lowest button in the raceway and carryingsaid button and connected staple from the spring stop 6 forward throughthe slot .7 and grooves a a until the crown or arch of the staple restsin the recess 8 of the buttonjaw. The button-spring (I now engages theunder side of the button and forces said button upward, and therebyretains the staplein said recess in position for attachment to fabric.(Fully shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.) The fabric 20 is then placedover the die 4, and, the rod 2 being again raised, the fastener stapleis securely clinched to said fabric by contact with said die 4 in theusual manner, the feeding-finger meanwhile again resting against theguard 12, ready to drop behind the lowest button in the raceway, aspreviously described. lhese operations are carried on as long as theraceway contains buttons and staples. a button and fastener-staple beingsecured at each stroke of the rod 2, the return movement of said rodplacing a connected button and staple in position in the recess 8 forclinching.

The fabric is removed from the machine after the button has been securedthereto by pulling said fabric downward and outward. This disengages thecrown or arch of the staple from the recess 8, when the button andstaple are easily removed from the buttonholding jaw.

The form of the raceway in cross-section is shown in Fig. 8, beingapproximately the shape of the fastener 9. (Shown in Fig. 5.)

I am thus enabled to produce a machine for attaching buttons in whichthe fastener, staple, and button are accurately retained in properposition with relation to the clinchingdie-a result essential to thesuccessful opera tion of a machine of this character-while the guardprevents the feeding-finger from taking more than one button and stapleat a stroke. The general construction of the machine is simple anditis'cheaply made, and the parts are not liable to get out of repair.The recess and raceway may be altered in shape to conform to theconfiguration of the fastener desired to be used therein.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In a button-attachingmachine, a button and fastener holding jaw having a longitudinal slottherethrough, provided at or near the outer end with a crosscut recessor concavity on its under side at right angles to the slot, and adaptedto receive and retain the crown or arch of a staple-fastener in positionfor clinching. substantially as herein set forth.

2. In a button attaching machine, the combination, with a slottedbutton-jaw, a feedingfinger, and mechanism, substantially as de scribed,for actuating the same, of a slotted raceway communicating with the slotof said button-jaw, aspring-stop for limiting the free movement of thebuttons in said raceway, and an adjustable guard, as 12, for limitingthe rearward movement of the free end of the feeding-finger,substantially as herein specified.

3. In a button'attaching machine. the combination, with a vibratingfeeding-finger and a slotted button and fastener holding jaw providedwith a raceway having a slot coincident with the slot in saidbutton-jaw, of an adjustable guard, as 12, located across and above theslot in said raceway in such a position as to limit the rearwardmovement of the free end ot'said feeding-finger, substantially as andfor purpose setforth.

4. In a button-attaching machine, the combination, substantially asherein described, of a slotted button-jaw provided with a crosscutrecessto receive the crown or arch of a staple-fastener, a raceway attached tothe buttonjaw, having a longitudinal slot therethrough coincident withthe slot in said button-jaw, a spring-stop for limiting the freemovement of a column of buttons located across the slot in said raceway,a lifting-spring at one side of the slot in said button-jaw, afeedingfinger, and mechanism, substantially as described, for actuatingthe same, an adjustable guard over and across the slot in said racewayfor limiting the rearward movement of the free end of thefeeding-finger,and a clinching-die to clinch the prongs of astaple-fastener, combined and arranged for use substantially as andforthe purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

JAMES F. TEA-YER.

Witnesses:

F. A. SMITH, J r., CHARLES GREENE.

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